Grey Cult | |
The flag of the Grey Cult | |
Basic Information | |
Alternative name(s) | Cult of the Lord of Emptiness |
Symbol | A field of grey |
Government | Theocracy |
Title of leader | High Prophet |
Leader(s) | Xerathas d'Zarnagon |
Title of lieutenant | Prophet |
Lieutenant(s) | Kaaf |
Geographic Information | |
Base | Myridia |
Other strongholds | |
Region(s) | Central Aison |
Relationships | |
Member races | |
Allies | Totenkopfs (briefly) |
Enemies | |
Patron deity | Godslayer |
Historical Information | |
Age | Third Age |
The Grey Cult, also known as the Cult of the Lord of Emptiness, was located in Myridia and most of the Theocracy of Aison in late Third Age. The cultists worshipped the Godslayer as a new god, and High Prophet Xerathas d'Zarnagon acted as the beast's spokesman. They believed that there was no right and wrong but only shades of grey and that was why there was not one truth but many truths. They waited for the Godslayer's awakening which they believed would purge the Land of the Living of sinners and create an everlasting paradise. The cult's rule came to an abrupt end when the High Prophet vanished in the final months of the Second Great War and the Godslayer awoke and destroyed Myridia before fleeing into the unknown due to the magical effects of the Catastrophe which split the Aisonian continent into smaller islands. By the Fourth Age, the cult had ceased to be, leaving the followers of the Godslayer with nothing to cling on to.
History[]
The Grey Cult was established in the aftermath of the Great War when the Godslayer settled into the city of Myridia and fell into a deep sleep. As rumours spread about the Godslayer having devoured powerful gods, fear and hope entered into the hearts of many Aisonians. They began gathering around Myridia to learn more about the Godslayer, and there they met a charismatic boy, Xerathas, who preached about a vision that the Godslayer had shown him.
Xerathas was wiser than his years indicated and very persuasive, and eventually a cult emerged around him and the Godslayer as more people became convinced by his message about the Godslayer creating an everlasting paradise unto the world once it would awaken from its slumber.
The Cult spread quickly, and in less than 10 years most Aisonians had become devouted followers of the Godslayer. As the ultimate leader of Aison was the Godslayer who many considered to be a god, Aison became a theocracy. Xerathas, who had become the High Prophet of the cult and the official spokesman of the Godslayer, ruled in a paradoxical manner, being adamant in his beliefs and yet kinder than the previous ruler of Aison had ever been.
The grey-robed High Prophet and his closest disciples, the red-cloaked Prophets, managed to turn Aison (or at least the areas of Aison that were under the Cult's rule) into a relatively peaceful land in the turbulent times after the Great War when many nations were in constant danger of falling apart. While many other nations became weaker, the Theocracy of Aison and the Cult kept growing stronger.
Until the very thing they hoped for happened: the Godslayer woke up... and it was not happy. It destroyed the capital of the now split Aison before abruptly disappearing to parts unknown, leaving the Cult without leadership and in vast disarray. Its power network collapsed as the world moved to the Fourth Age, leaving a power vacuum in a now literally divided Aison which had split into multiple landmasses due to the Catastrophe that reshaped the world.
Culture[]
Armor and Emblems[]
The cultists wore grey robes which showed their humble beliefs. The prophets, who were high-ranked cultists, tended to wear red cloaks which showed that they were willing to sacrifice their lives to further the Cult's cause. The flag of the Grey Cult was a dull field of grey, and it signified that nothing lasted in the world except the truths and the Godslayer's magnificence.
Beliefs[]
The cultists believed that there was no light or darkness in the world but only shades of grey, hence the name of the cult. They thought that utopia justified the means and was worth fighting for if necessary. This made the cultists occasionally act in rather cruel ways, but for the most part they seemed to be lenient and were willing to accept anyone into the Cult.
They worshipped the Godslayer as a new god who had come down from the heavens to purge the world of the tyranny of the old gods, and they fully believed that the Godslayer would eventually create an everlasting paradise unto the world. Talking anything bad about the Godslayer, the High Prophet or the Prophets was considered to be blasphemy although punishment for such varied greatly.
Politics[]
Relations[]
As of yet the relations between the Grey Cult and the other factions have been relatively cold, although no hostilities have taken place apart from the Cult besieging Magestar. The Cult lets the Black Hunters operate near the Yamatian border and takes in the people whom the Black Hunters have managed to save from demons. The cultists grant lands to any refugees although this usually means that the refugees have to become members of the Cult or go through a persuasion process.
Notable members[]
- Dmitri Tytla - Chancellor of Myridia
- Draht - a two-headed pet griffon of Xerathas
- Fire Lizards - prophets and enforcers of the Cult
- Godslayer - a god-like being whom the Cult worships as a saviour
- Hector Blackwell - knight
- Ildor Earthhaven - archer and son of Varalia
- Justinius Aurelius Phoenixheart - Regional Defense Minister
- Salvador Rojas - Governor of Paraiso
- The Shadow - personal minion of Xerathas
- Varalia Earthhaven - Captain of the Guard
- Xerathas d'Zarnagon - High Prophet
See also[]